Job Offer Salary Evaluator
Quanto vale mesmo a oferta · 2026 · Portugal
Meal card, 14 months, bonuses — a job offer hides a lot. Enter the numbers and see what you really keep, on average, per month, after IRS and Social Security. Compare offers on the same footing. All in your browser.
By Elijah 4 MIN KEY FACTS
Payments per year
14 (12 + holiday + Christmas)
Meal allowance exempt
Card €10.46 · cash €6.15/day
Social Security (employee)
11% of gross
The number that matters
Average monthly net
€
14 meses 12 meses
14 = 12 + subsídios de férias e Natal. 12 ou duodécimos = diluído.
€ / dia
Cartão Dinheiro
− 22 +
€
▾
− 0 +
O QUE FICA MESMO CONSIGO
€1 380 / mês médio
Salário base — líquido / mês€1 160
Subsídio de refeição — líquido / mês€210
Prémio — líquido / mês (média)€0
Um mês normal (sem subsídios)€1 160
Líquido total / ano€16 560
Taxa efetiva IRS + SS21.2%
O «mês médio» dilui os 14 pagamentos e o subsídio de refeição (11 meses) por 12. O mês normal é o que recebe na maioria dos meses; os meses de subsídios são mais altos.
How this works
A job offer in Portugal is more than base salary: there are 14 payments a year, a meal allowance (often tax-exempt) and sometimes bonuses. This tool brings it all together, applies the 2026 IRS and 11% Social Security, and gives you the average monthly net — the only number that lets you compare two offers fairly.
- 1 We turn the offer into average monthly netA “€2,000 over 14 months with a meal card” salary does not compare directly to “€1,900 over 12 with no allowance”. The tool adds everything you receive in a year — salary, holiday and Christmas bonuses, meal allowance, bonuses — removes IRS and Social Security, and divides by 12. It is the real figure you keep, on average, per month.
- 2 The meal allowance is not salary — and often pays no taxUp to €10.46/day on a card (or €6.15 in cash) the meal allowance is exempt from IRS and Social Security — it is pure net. Anything above that limit is taxed as salary. That is why a €10/day card is worth far more in hand than €10 of base salary. The tool computes the exempt part and the taxed part separately.
- 3 14 months or 12? Same total, different spreadWith 14 payments you get two “double” months (holiday and Christmas) and the rest of the year is leaner. With 12 (or duodécimos) the amount is spread evenly. The yearly total is virtually the same — what changes is your month-to-month cash flow. We show the average net and also a normal month.
- 4 It is a yearly estimate, not each month’s payslipWe use the 2026 annual IRS brackets (article 68) and 11% Social Security — the same logic as your year-end tax return. Your employer withholds month by month using different tables, so your payslip may vary; the two reconcile through your IRS refund or top-up.
Frequently asked
Is €1,600 net plus a €10/day meal card a good offer?
A €10/day card (exempt) adds roughly €220 net a month (22 days) that pays no tax — in practice the €1,600 becomes close to €1,820 in hand on average. Compared to an offer with no allowance, that is the difference people often miss. Use the tool to put both offers on the same footing.
Is €55k a year good for Lisbon?
It depends how it is structured: €55,000 over 14 months is ~€3,929/month base; over 12 it is ~€4,583. Then there is the meal allowance, bonuses and IRS. The tool gives you the real average net; to know whether it is enough for your lifestyle, cross it with the cost-of-living calculator. “Good” is net minus your expenses, not the contract’s gross number.
Does the meal allowance count for a mortgage or severance?
As a rule, no. The meal allowance is not base pay: it does not count towards severance, the holiday and Christmas bonuses, and banks usually do not treat it as stable income for a loan. It is a top-up — good for daily life, but not part of “salary” for these purposes.
Why does every online calculator give me a different figure?
Because some use the withholding tables (what leaves your payslip each month) and others the annual brackets (the real yearly tax). The tables changed mid-2025 and differ from the annual maths. This tool uses the 2026 annual brackets — it gives the real yearly tax burden, which is what matters when comparing offers. The monthly payslip figure reconciles through your IRS settlement.
Does it include the youth IRS or other deductions?
No. It is a baseline estimate, to compare offers fairly. It excludes the youth IRS, expense-based tax credits (health, education, rent) and disability cases. If you qualify for those, you will receive more than shown. For the youth IRS, see the dedicated tool.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
- Portal das Finanças — Artigo 68.º do CIRS (escalões 2026) ↗ The IRS brackets and rates this calculation applies.
- Portaria n.º 51-B/2026/1 + CIRS art. 2.º-A — subsídio de refeição isento em 2026 ↗ The Portaria sets €6.15/day (exempt in cash); the card limit is that value plus 70% (CIRS art. 2-A) = €10.46/day.
- Segurança Social — contribuição do trabalhador (11%) ↗ The 11% rate deducted from an employee.
DISCLAIMER
An estimate for orientation, using the 2026 annual IRS brackets (article 68), 11% Social Security and the 2026 meal-allowance exemption limits. It does not use the monthly withholding tables and excludes the youth IRS, expense deductions and disability cases. The meal allowance is estimated over 11 months a year. It is no substitute for your payslip or tax advice.